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The CAN Dashboard has been updated with new U.S. Census Bureau data that was released last month. The data shows a small, statistically insignificant decline in the uninsured rate. Travis County is trending closer to the community goal of an uninsured rate of 20% by 2014. The uninsured rate for the State of Texas was 25%.
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Register for CAN Policy Forum!
Register today for the CAN Policy Forum on Friday, November 8th. Keynote speakers are Brookings Fellow Elizabeth Kneebone, co-author of "The Suburbanization of Poverty" and economist John Hockenyos. Panels of local experts will discuss the strategies and policies that can help the Austin area promote sustainable growth and a more equitable future.
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New Toolkit for Cultural Competence, Inclusion and Diversity
With the help of a Work Group of representatives from several CAN partner organizations and community stakeholders, CAN has developed a new on-line tool kit of resources and information to help for-profit and non-profit organizations promote diversity, inclusion and cultural competence.
This new resource was shared at at the CAN Board of Directors on September 13. A video of this important conversation can be viewed on-line at Austin Channel 6 under the Boards and Commissions Tab.
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Community Council Focus on High Poverty Zip Codes in Travis County
The October 21st meeting of the CAN Community Council will include an analysis of zip codes in Travis County with high poverty rates. The meeting will be held from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Boards and Commissions Room of Austin City Hall. The meeting will be televised and recorded for later viewing on Austin Channel 6.
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More than 1,000 Twitter followers!
 Join the 1,000 Twitter followers getting updates on news, meetings, research and more at CAN_Austin.
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CAN Partners
Austin Chamber of Commerce
Austin Community College
Austin ISD
Austin Travis County Integral Care
Capital Metro
Central Health
Capital City African American
Chamber of Commerce
City of Austin
City of Pflugerville
Community Justice Council
Del Valle ISD
Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce
Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Huston-Tillotson University
interfaith Action Central Texas
Manor ISD
One Voice Central Texas
Seton Healthcare Family
St. David's Foundation
St. Edward's University
Travis County
United Way for Greater Austin
University of Texas at Austin
Workforce Solutions - Capital Area |
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Affordable Health Insurance
An estimated 140,000 Travis County residents eligible for subsidized coverage
Central Health is working with United Way for Greater Austin to contract with Foundation Communities, Austin Interfaith and Latino Healthcare Forum to help uninsured Travis County residents sign up for health insurance through the new Affordable Care Act Marketplace. Central Health and United Way are also expanding their 2-1-1 Health Care Navigation Center. By calling 2-1-1, people in the Austin area can be directed to the best place for receiving information and assistance in enrolling in private health insurance through the Marketplace. Call 2-1-1 or visit the United Way's Navigation Center for more information.
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Redistricting Commission
Releases Preliminary 10-One Map
The Austin Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission has released a preliminary map of the 10 new City Council districts. The new map was developed after three months of listening to citizens and studying options. Visit AustinRedistricting.org to see the proposed map and the demographic data for each of the 10 proposed districts.
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Increase in Low-Income Students Headed to College
46% enrolled in college
The Central Texas Student Futures Project has been tracking Central Texas students' progress through high school and into college since 2005. The most recent data, released by the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, reports that 46% of low-income students enrolled in college in the fall of 2012 after graduating from high school. In 2008, only one-quarter of low-income high school graduates enrolled in college.
The Ray Marshall Center has just released three different reports tracking the Student Futures data. The reports take a look at the influence of activities and coursework on postsecondary enrollment, FAFSA filing patterns, and postsecondary enrollment statistics.
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School Readiness Action Plan
Austin and Travis County partner in national initiative to increase school readiness
The National League of Cities (NLC) has selected the City of Austin and the many partners who collaborated to create a School Readiness Action Plan for Austin and Travis County to participate in a national education initiative. The partners, which include Travis County, the United Way for Greater Austin, Austin ISD and others, will receive technical assistance and guidance to implement and improve educational alignment from pre-kindergarten to third grade. Austin is one of six cities that will receive assistance through the NLC's Institute for Youth, Education and Families. The project is supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Review our community's School Readiness Action Plan.
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SNAP Benefits Reduced Nov. 1
113,000 Travis County residents impacted
The increases to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) approved as a part of the 2009 Recovery Act will end this month. According to the Center for Public Policy Priorities, the monthly food benefit for a family of 3 will shrink by $29 a month. 83% of SNAP benefits in Texas go to households with children, elderly or people with disabilities. Travis County Research and Planning reports that 11% of Travis County residents, about 113,664 people, were receiving SNAP benefits as of December 2012.
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Keep Calm, Vote On
Don't let Voter I.D. law derail your vote
 The Texas Secretary of State's office estimates that as many as 34,000 Travis County voters do not have identification needed to vote under the State's new Voter ID law. A new website keepcalmvoteon.com lets voters know what ID they will need at the polls beginning this November 5th.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, in conjunction with the Travis County Clerk and Travis County Tax Office, will offer voter registration and Election Identification Certificates at four locations this Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Visit keepcalmvoteon.com for locations and times and for more information on making sure your vote will count this November.
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New Social Services Funding
Travis County seeks input on best use of $2 million in new funding
The Travis County Commissioners Court has approved funding for new investments in social services. While there are many pending details-including the timeline for implementation-this funding will lead to an investment of up to $2 million in new services by Fiscal Year 2015. As an initial step, the Travis County Health and Human Services and Veteran Services (TCHHS/VS) Department will present recommendations for one or more areas of focus for this new funding to the Commissioners Court in early November.
The Department is seeking input from the social service provider community into the outcomes, issues, or service areas where new funding should be directed. Meetings will be held at 502 E. Highland Mall Blvd. on the following dates and times:
- Wednesday October 9th from 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
- Monday October 14th from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
RSVP to korey.darling@co.travis.tx.us.
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Criminal Justice Forum Oct. 4
Overview of status of Texas adult and youth criminal justice systems
The Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB) is hosting a Criminal Justice Forum this Friday, October 4th from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Robert E. Johnson Conference Center, 1501 N. Congress Avenue.
LBB staff will present an overview of the January 2013 criminal justice report findings and 2013-14 interim research highlights. Forum topics will include overviews of the January 2013 Adult and Juvenile Correctional Populations Projections report, January 2013 Statewide Criminal Justice Recidivism and Revocation Rates report, January 2013 Criminal Justice Uniform Cost report, January 2013 Texas At-Risk Youth Services Project: A Second Look report, and highlights of the Criminal Justice Data Analysis Team's interim research. In addition to the information provided by the Criminal Justice Data Analysis Team, the forum will also include overviews of the Agency Performance and School Performance Review Teams.
For more information, contact Laurie Molina at laurie.molina@lbb.state.tx.us or 512-475-2511.
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How will Health Insurance Changes Affect Seniors?
Experts will discuss options for Medicare and prescription drug plans
Seniors and other interested people are invited to attend a seminar on the implications of health care reform for people who are aging. AGE of Central Texas and the Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area will host an educational seminar on
Saturday, October 5th from 10 a.m. to noon in the Large Meeting Room at the historic AGE building, 3710 Cedar Street.
The featured speaker is Norma Almanza, with the Texas Department of Insurance. Almanza has over 30 years of experience in assisting Texans with insurance issues. Pre-registration is required by contacting Bruce Kravitz at bkravitz@ageofcentraltx.org. Limited onsite respite care is available for those who register by October 2nd by calling the Adult Day Health Center at 512-458-6305.
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Town Hall Meeting
Oct. 5 Austin Police Department Q&A
The Travis County Sheriff's Office, in conjunction with the Austin Police Department, will host a Town Hall meeting this Saturday, October 5th from 1:30 - 3 p.m. at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, located at 1156 Hargrave Street. The Office of the Police Monitor will make a presentation and take questions. The APD Region 3 Command Staff will discuss new laws, will conduct a mock traffic stop, and will provide an update on APD's Drug Market Initiative. Door prizes will include WalMart and iTunes gift cards.
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Healthcare Reform and You
KLRU summit to answer questions and debunk myths
KLRU's Civic Summit: Healthcare Reform and You is aimed at clearing up confusion surrounding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. A panel of experts will answer viewer questions and debunk myths surrounding the new law. Dr. J. James Rohack, Director of the Health Care Policy Center at Scott & White Hospital in Waco will moderate a panel discussion of experts.
KLRU wants to know what questions you have about healthcare reform. Email your questions to CivicSummit@klru.org or visit KLRU via Twitter or Facebook. The summit will air on Thursday, October 17th at 9 p.m., Sunday, October 20th at 1 p.m. and Monday, October 21st at 10:30 p.m.
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Investing in Austin's Future:
How public investments spur economic development
Imagine Austin's next Speaker Series on October 10th will feature John Alschuler, chairman of HR&A Advisors, Inc. and Board Chair of Friends of the Highline, to discuss public investments in economic development. Alschuler will discuss how public investment spurs added community benefits. The discussion will include insights into how Austin can incentivize private investments and encourage public-private partnerships in urban redevelopment. Learn more.
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Cultural Biases: Working Past Subjectivity
Workshop for case managers
The Social Services Case Managers Network will provide professional development training on Cultural Biases: Working Past Subjectivity. The workshop will explore cultural biases and their effect on our work and life in general. Interactive discussions, lecture and activities will provide participants with practical, powerful and useful information. Continuing Education Credits are available. The workshop will be on Friday, October 18th from 9 - 11 a.m. at the Goodwill Community Center, 1015 Norwood Park Boulevard. RSVP to nicole.hamilton@austingoodwill.org.
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Minds Matter
Dialogue to dispel myths and change attitudes about mental health
Communities across the United States are participating in a national dialogue on the mental health of our youth. They are responding to President Obama's call for "A National Dialogue on Mental Health: Creating Community Solutions." Austin Travis County Integral Care and St. Edward's University are co-hosting a local conversation. Topics include the personal suffering of people living with mental health issues and how to support the journey to recovery. The ideas and information gathered during this dialogue will be documented and used for future initiatives. Join the conversation on Thursday, October 24th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Edward's University. Click here to register.
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Reimagining Cities
Symposium highlights approaches to building resilient cities
The Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs will host a full-day symposium on the challenges facting American cities and forward-thinking approaches for success in the future. A lunch panel will feature Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and the mayors of Corpus Christi and Oklahoma City. Other panel discussions will address innovative roles for arts and culture in inner cities, urban economic resiliency, and technology's role in transforming cities.
The full-day symposium will be held on Friday, October 25th at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Click here for more information and to RSVP. |
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College and Career Expo
3,500 students, 4 hours, one goal - connect with the next generation
Skillpoint Alliance will hold its 17th annual College and Career Expo at the Palmer Events Center on Thursday, October 10th. High school juniors and seniors are invited to explore potential career opportunities and meet employers and higher education representatives. Learn more about the College and Career Expo.
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Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Summit on Oct. 18
Help launch coalition in Travis County
Come help launch the Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition for Travis County on Friday, October 18th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm at IBC/First Equity Bank at 8998 Research Blvd., Austin, 78758. Register here.
Dr. Carlos Tirado, psychiatrist and addiction specialist, will present on the effects of substance use on adolescent brain development. Children's Optimal Health (COH) will release the most recent youth self-report substance use data for Austin, mapped to reflect differing use patterns across the community. Panelists will discuss the continuum of care from prevention and education through treatment and recovery. The action agenda will focus on prevention strategies.
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Together at the Table
Hunger Summit
The Texas Hunger Initiative and the USDA Southwest Region will bring together experts from across the county to discuss how communities can tackle the food insecurity issues that so many people experience. Together at the Table - Hunger Summit will be held at Baylor University on October 24th and 25th.
Keynote speakers are Joel Berg, author of "All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?," and Dr. Mariana Chilton, director for the Center for Hunger Free Communities at Drexel University School of Public Health.
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HopeFest
Family resource fair on October 26th
In its 8th year, HopeFest is a large family resource fair held at Reagan High School on the last Saturday of October. Over 100 exhibitors and 3 - 4,000 local residents will enjoy a day of live music, food, and children's activities while getting connected to health and dental screenings, immunizations, insurance, employment, legal aid, housing and education resources. HopeFest is sponsored by local community groups and Austin Voices for Education and Youth. Registration for exhibitors is free. Deadline is October 19. Contact hopefest@austin.rr.com for more information or to register.
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CAN is a partnership of governmental, non-profit, private and faith-based organizations which leverage mutual resources to collectively improve social, health, educational and economic opportunities in our community.
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